Leaving Jericho Behind
by BBC Addict
Summary: Emily took a shortcut through town to catch up to Roger. She couldn't let her past cost her her future.***Fits into my Jericho AU; set immediately after the events of One Man's Terrorist, goes through early season 2.
1. Chapter 1

Emily took a shortcut through town to catch up to Roger. She glanced around at the familiar buildings and houses. Her path took her past the cemetery. She steadfastly looked straight ahead. She wished she could stop and say goodbye to her mother and brother, but she had no time to lose. She couldn't let her past cost her her future.

Roger left Main Street with his head held high, walking away with a determined step. He could only hold the bravado so long, though. Once he cleared the crowd, his tread slowed and his head drooped slightly. As he reached the edge of town, a few silent tears slipped out. He was leaving Jericho, the town that had been his home for the past year, the town where he and Emily were about to start their life together. He was leaving Emily…

Roger was dragged out of his thoughts by the faint sound of footsteps. He was determined not to look back, so he raised his head and marched resolutely on. The footsteps didn't fade; instead, they grew louder. Soon, they were right behind him, matching his stride. Unable to contain his curiosity anymore, he stopped mid-stride and turned his head. "Emily. No. Go back."

"No," Emily replied.

"Emily, please. I need to know you're safe. I can't promise that out here."

"You want to have peace of mind while I stay in Jericho going crazy not knowing what's happening to you? That's just selfish."

"Emily-"

"Listen, Roger. The bombs made me realize something. I do love Jericho, and I'm sorry to leave, but I don't need Jericho to be happy. I need you." She grabbed his hand. "I'm not losing you again."

Roger's resolve began to waver. "What if something happens to you?"

"I'm more worried about you, city boy. For instance, why aren't you wearing that jacket?" It was late afternoon and the temperature was dropping as evening approached.

Roger made a face, but dropped his backpack to put on the jacket Jake had given him. He carefully positioned the gun in his waistband. He swung his backpack up onto his shoulders and stuck one hand into the jacket pocket. He felt something, so he pulled it out. It was a piece of paper with writing scrawled on it. _Hardy Farm. _A crude map accompanied the words. "What does this mean?" Roger asked, showing it to Emily.

She glanced at it. "It's from Jake. He means we should head to the Hardy farm." She took Roger's hand. "Come on."

"What's so special about this Hardy farm?" Roger asked as they set off.

"Laura Hardy runs it by herself since her husband died. Jake was trying to send you to someone who'd help you."

"He said something about New Bern."

"Of course. He didn't want anyone to overhear. One of Gray's guys might have tried to stop you from getting to Laura's. Laura can't stand Gray. She'd do anything to spite him. Tell her you shot Gray and she might adopt you."

Roger continually cast glances at Emily as they walked along. He really couldn't decide how he felt about her following him. He was desperately afraid of something happening to her out here, but on the other hand he was thrilled that she wanted to be with him, even if it meant leaving Jericho, something she'd adamantly refused to do before.

Emily finally couldn't take it anymore. "What?" she asked. "Stop looking at me."

"I can't. You're too stubborn for your own good, you know," he said. The words were scolding, but they were accompanied by a look full of love.

"That stubborn streak is what's going to keep us alive out here."

"You're probably right," Roger admitted, pulling Emily close and kissing the top of her head.

After a solid two hours of walking, Emily turned off onto a dirt lane. "Laura's house is about half a mile up. Think you can take it?" she asked with a wink.

"Race you," Roger replied, darting off.

They reached the front porch of the farm house at the same time, breathless and sweating despite the freezing temperature. Emily pulled off her gloves and ran a hand through Roger's hair in an attempt to smooth it. He did the same for her and then Emily knocked on the door. A thin, angular woman opened the door a crack. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"Mrs. Hardy, it's Emily Sullivan."

"Emily. Who's that with you?"

"This is my fiancé, Roger Hammond."

"New fella, eh?" Laura asked as she opened the door all the way.

"Not really, we've been engaged for a year."

"Well, come on in and set a spell." Laura led them into a Spartan kitchen. She waved them to a couple of chairs as she filled a kettle with water and set it on the wood stove. "Hope you don't mind unsweetened tea. Ran out of sugar awhile back and I ain't intending on heading into town 'til I hear that snake Gray Anderson's gone for good."

"You don't have to get us anything, Mrs. Hardy," Roger began.

"Nonsense. It's common courtesy. I ain't see too much of it these days."

Roger snorted in agreement.

"So, Emily, what brings you out here?" Laura asked, eyeing the backpacks.

"Well, Mrs. Hardy, things are getting a bit tight in town. Supplies are running low and people get tight-fisted when they're nervous. A number of people have come into Jericho from other places. Gray decided they should be kicked out to fend for themselves."

Laura made a face and muttered something under her breath, but allowed Emily to continue.

"Roger led most of them to Jericho, so he was their main advocate. He and Gray argued a lot. Things came to a head today." Emily looked over at Roger, mutely asking if he wanted to take over.

"I was in Gray's office this morning trying to get him to wait until spring before sending everyone out, but he wasn't listening. He had a gun and was about to pull it out and speed their departure, but I couldn't let him shoot anyone. We struggled over it and somehow Gray wound up getting shot. Being the genius I am, I tried to hold him hostage until he agreed that everyone could stay. It never would've worked. But Gail Green was able to convince the townspeople to share their rations and let the refugees stay in the abandoned houses in town. So the only person who got kicked out of town today was me." Roger sighed.

Laura walked over to Roger and did something completely unexpected-she threw her arms around Roger's neck and kissed his forehead. "I've been waiting years for someone to shoot Gray Anderson." The kettle whistled and she poured the water into three mugs. She carried them over to the table and set out an assortment of teas. "You stay here as long as you need to."


	2. Chapter 2

Roger and Emily remained at the Hardy farm for about a week. They assisted with chores during the day and at night sat in Laura' kitchen, listening to stories about growing up in the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II. Laura's parents had never been the same after the Depression-they'd never trusted the economy or the government again and had taught their children to be as self-sufficient as possible.

"I suppose you're wanting to head off," Laura said to Roger one afternoon as they hauled freshly chopped wood to the woodpile on the porch.

"I think so. Emily and I both appreciate everything you've done for us, Mrs. Hardy. Maybe we'll make it back here someday."

Laura gave a sardonic smile. "I won't hold my breath." She fussed with the stacks of wood, making the rows as straight as possible. "If you do make it back and I'm gone, you're welcome to whatever's left here."

"Mrs. Hardy-"

"You just stop that. Face facts-nothing's certain anymore. You might not make it wherever you're going. You might not make it back this way. If you do, I might be dead-I'm no spring chicken anymore. I'll do what I can for you now and if there's anything left here if you get back this way, it's yours. End of conversation. Now, let me get something for supper." Laura strode off to the henhouse.

That night, just before Roger and Emily went to bed, Laura said, "I'm no good at goodbyes, so I'm going to say it now and leave it at that." She hugged them both and withdrew into her room.

The next morning, Roger and Emily hastily ate some leftovers from last night's meal, then bundled up for their trek. As they hefted their packs, they noticed they were significantly heavier than they'd been before-sometime during the night, Laura had come out and stuffed both packs to bursting with food, bullets, and water.

About midday, Emily and Roger stopped to rest. Roger emptied the backpacks and began sorting their supplies into two piles. He removed one can of food and one bottle of water for them to eat and began repacking. "We each have food and water now in case we get separated. It'll last awhile if we're careful. Let's try not to drink the bottled water. There's snow around." He handed Emily a lighter. "Keep that safe. If you're ambushed, people tend to take what they can grab easily without a thorough search." Emily grabbed it and without hesitation stuffed it into her bra.

"What?" she asked in response to Roger's look. "Better than pockets."

The two of them split half of the can and put the other half away for later. They drank a little water and replenished the bottle with snow. Roger conscientiously added iodine to the bottle and kept an eye on his watch.

Soon enough, they agreed to get moving again. After another few hours of walking, the sound of engines caused them to dart off into the deepest ditch they could find, which wasn't very deep at all. The engines approached and cut out. Several pairs of boots approached. One man began poking at Roger with his foot. Finding him alive, he confiscated his gun and backpack. He idly unzipped the pack and was about to start rummaging when a voice ordered him to stop. "Why?" he asked, sullenly.

"Because I told you to," came the reply. Emily glanced up at the familiar voice.

"Jonah," she said.

"Em, what are you doing out here?" Jonah demanded.

Emily stood. "Long story, which I'm not inclined to tell right now. Are you going to let us go?"

"Emily, who is this?" whispered Roger.

"Jonah Prowse," Jonah said in answer. "Come on." Emily stubbornly refused to move.  
"I'm offering you and your friend a ride."

Emily stared long and hard. "Alright," she said finally. Roger stood, picking up his pack and then his gun, which he tucked into his waist. They followed Jonah to a beat up truck and a couple of motorcycles. "Johnson, you ride with Wells," Jonah said to a man inside the truck. Johnson climbed out of the truck and grudgingly hopped onto the back of one of the motorcycles. Emily and Roger got into the truck as Jonah gave the order to return to base. He then jumped into the driver's seat and they took off.

"Now will you tell me what you're doing out here?" Jonah asked. "And who's the blonde?"

"This is my fiancé, Roger. Roger, this…is my dad."

"Fiancé?" "Dad?" Jonah and Roger asked at the same time.

"You never told me you were engaged," Jonah said.

"You told me your dad was dead," Roger said.

"I know!" Emily practically screamed at them. She took a breath. "I told you he was dead, Roger, because he was as good as dead as far as I was concerned. I hadn't seen or talked to him in years; not until the bombs. He left Jericho for good the same night you got back." She turned to face Jonah. "And I never told you about Roger because I didn't think it was any of your business and it had nothing to do with any of the conversations we had."

Jonah grimaced. "Ok, so what are you and your fiancé doing so far from Jericho?"

Emily explained. Jonah grinned shamelessly when he heard about Gray getting shot and Emily couldn't help but smile a little in return. "I guess you're alright, Roger," Jonah said after Emily was finished. "So what are your plans now?"

"We were planning on heading to Black Jack; hear the news, then decide where to go ," Roger supplied.

"You were planning to walk?" Jonah asked incredulously.

"I walked to Jericho from the middle of nowhere," Roger replied.

Jonah quirked his eyebrow. "I don't like it," he said to Emily.

"Too bad," she said. "Besides, what other choice do we have?" She paused. "We're not staying with you," she added.

"I wasn't gonna suggest it," Jonah said. "I learned my lesson about bringing my kids to work." A look of pain flickered across both Jonah's and Emily's faces. "I'll set you up so can get where you're going safely." Jonah's gaze shifted to Roger. "He know how to use one of those for real?" he asked, referring to the gun visibly tucked in Roger's waistband.

"Yes. He doesn't only shoot people by accident." Seeing the expression that crossed Roger's face, Emily looked an apology at him.

"What else has been going on in Jericho?" Jonah asked after an awkward silence.

"April Green died. Jericho's trading with New Bern to get wind turbines; ten guys went over to work on them," Emily replied.

A dark look crossed Jonah's face at the mention of New Bern. "Lucky you two didn't head that way."

"Why?"

"From what I hear, it's not a good place to be."

* * *

**A/N: Jonah's back! With a new gang. Or maybe some of his old gang...**


	3. Chapter 3

Jonah brought Emily and Roger to his base of operations. It was an abandoned farm well off the beaten track. One of the outbuildings had been converted into a bunkhouse. Jonah led them to one end of the room that had been divided from the rest of the space. He grabbed a few things and then said, "You can put your stuff here. It'll be safe. Chow's in half an hour; follow the crowd." He disappeared.

Emily sat cross-legged on the bed. "I'd normally say let's go exploring, but I don't think that's such a good idea here. I don't know what we might find."

Roger nodded and settled down next to Emily. "So, are you gonna tell me why you aren't on good terms with your father?"

Emily sighed. "Yeah." She clasped her hands together. "They separated when I was four, just after my brother Chris was born. My mom didn't want Jonah around. He's always been into bad stuff. Chris went through a rebellious phase and followed Jake out to Jonah's compound one night and after that, neither Mom nor I could get him to stop going out there. After he finished college he came back and he and Jake spent most of their time there. Eventually, Jonah wanted Jake to do a job for him and Jake wouldn't do it, so he got Chris to go instead. Chris was killed." Emily's voice broke and silent tears fell. Roger took her in his arms and stroked her head, gently rocking back and forth. Emily finally spoke again. "I'm sorry I never told you the truth. I just wanted a fresh start." She snorted. "And then I insisted on staying in Jericho where I would be constantly facing reminders of everything I wanted to forget."

Roger smiled. "I told you that you were too stubborn for your own good." Emily leaned against his shoulder.

After they'd eaten, they returned to the bunkhouse. Jonah came in a few minutes later. "I'll take you to Black Jack in the morning," he said.

"You could just give us a car," Emily pointed out.

"I could, but I want to make sure you get there."

After Jonah left, Roger said, "He seems like a decent guy, for a thief."

"Yeah, every so often," Emily replied.

* * *

Jonah dropped Emily and Roger off at the gates of Black Jack Fairgrounds. "Meet me back here at dark," he said before disappearing.

Emily and Roger exchanged glances before diving into the crowd. Roger took the lead, firmly grasping Emily's hand. As he looked around, he noticed a few changes-rather than guards, soldiers were scattered throughout the area. They sported A.S.A. labels and an unusual looking flag on their uniforms. The tents that had once openly housed brothels now dealt in more savory trade.

Roger didn't stop until they had made it the center of the fairgrounds. This was the hub, where one found news and what items were in demand for trade. The first thing he did was find the display dealing with the state of the country. He and Emily studied the map for a few moments. It was divided into two sections-east and west of the Mississippi River, which was now referred to as the Blue Line. The west side was label A.S.A.-Allied States of America, and color coding indicated which states were allied with the capital located in Cheyenne, Wyoming and which were supporting the rival capital in Columbus, Ohio.

A man walked by and stopped briefly just behind Roger. "I wouldn't stand looking too long. They might get the wrong idea," he said in a barely audible whisper before melting into the crowd again. Roger casually turned away and gently but firmly pulled Emily to another display containing headlines. Stories were told in greater detail in stacks of papers laid out on a table. "This is new," Roger commented. "Newspapers are out again."

A man with a bushy black beard had been staring at the couple for a few minutes. He wandered over and spoke. "Roger."

Roger turned and a welcoming smile appeared on his face. "Bo! Good to see you!" The men enthusiastically shook hands.

"I thought you were heading to Kansas," Bo said.

"Most of us made it, too," Roger replied.

"What brings you back here?"

"I had a…disagreement with the mayor of my town. I took off on my own, and this woman just followed me," he said with a playful smile at Emily. "Emily, this is Bo Richardson. Bo, this is my fiancée Emily. He helped us out a lot when we were trying to get to Jericho."

"Nice to meet you," Emily said, "and thank you for helping him make it safely."

Bo pulled Roger a little ways away. "You had a disagreement with the mayor and only had to leave town?"

"What do you mean only? It was a pretty big deal."

Bo shook his head. "I've heard about a town in Kansas where if you go up against the mayor, you get shot…if you're lucky."

"I haven't heard anything about that. What town?"

Bo frowned in thought. "Now let's see…Newton. No. Newberg-"

"New Bern?" Emily suggested. She'd overheard.

"That's it! New Bern." Bo shook his head. "From what I hear, New Bern's turned into a dictatorship."

* * *

At dusk, Emily and Roger made their way back to the entrance. They waited a few minutes until Jonah appeared. "I got accommodations for the night," he said. "This way."

"I thought you were going to leave," Emily said, confused.

"Change of plans," Jonah said. "I'm not letting the two of you wander off on your own. I know you're not going to stay with me, so I'm coming with you to keep you out of trouble."

"No." Emily emphatically shook her head. "No."

"Emily," said Roger, "you don't know what it's like out here. There's safety in numbers. Even more safety if one of your number is a crook who knows how to avoid other crooks."

An amused expression crossed Jonah's face. "Not how I would've put it, but true enough."


	4. Chapter 4

Jonah escorted Roger and Emily to the hostel where he had found beds for the night. They entered a community room where a meal was being served. They all ate a little and listened to the lively chatter filling the room. One conversation in particular caught Roger's ear.

"You see those soldiers clearing out those trucks?"

"No, but I heard about it."

"Word is they were full of mortars."

"How can anybody be making mortars?"

"It seems they come from a town in Kansas with an operational factory-it covers weapons manufacturing by making a handful of mechanical parts."

"And the Cheyenne military is buying them?"

"Yeah. Probably turning right around and selling 'em too. That's how those contractors do business."

Roger frowned. He only knew of one town in Kansas with a working factory…

"Roger? Are you okay?" Emily asked.

Roger shook his head. "No. We'll talk about it later."

Emily gave him a concerned look. "Ok." She looked around the room and wasn't surprised to see Jonah talking to someone who looked a little shady. "Wonder what he's up to," she said, inclining her head in his direction.

Roger chuckled slightly. "I'm sure whatever it is, it'll help us out. Say what you will, he really does care about what happens to you."

After the meal, people began to disperse. Some claimed bunks and went to sleep. Some went back out to the fairgrounds. Roger and Emily found a quiet corner to talk. Emily looked at Roger expectantly. "Ok. What's wrong?"

"Something I overheard about a town in Kansas manufacturing mortars. I didn't hear the name New Bern specifically, but it fits with the stuff we've been hearing. And they did mention that the town was covering the mortars by making machine parts."

"Why would New Bern be making mortars?" Emily asked.

"Self defense?" He shrugged. "I don't know, but I've got a bad feeling about it."

"Do you think anyone in Jericho knows what's going on?"

"No. The only visitors Jericho's been getting have been from New Bern and they wouldn't mention anything like that."

"Shouldn't we do something?"

"Like what?" Jonah asked.

"How long have you been eavesdropping?" Emily demanded.

"Long enough. There's nothing we can do for Jericho. From what I've heard tonight, whatever New Bern's planning is happening soon. It'd take about ten days to walk back from here."

"What do you mean walk?" Emily said.

"I traded the car," Jonah replied.

"Why?" she asked.

"I got supplies, information; things that are going to be useful. It's too hard to trade for gas."

Roger nodded. "I think there's two options. One, go back to Jericho and get caught up in a mess. Two, head for Cheyenne, figure out what's going on in the country."

Emily frowned. She knew Jonah would choose Cheyenne. She was leaning toward Jericho. "Is this a democracy?" she asked. "You've got the deciding vote, Roger."

"I know you want to go back," he said, taking her hands. "But I don't think we'll be able to make a difference. I think we should check out Cheyenne."

"Ok," Emily said, resigned.

Jonah nodded. "See you in the morning," he said as he headed off to one of the bunkrooms.

Emily slowly stood up. Roger followed. "You know I'm not doing this out of revenge, right?" he asked.

She nodded. "I know."

Several hours later, they were snuggled under a thin blanket, kept awake by the comings and goings of the other guests.

"What are they finding to do around here?" Emily asked.

"I don't think you want to know," Roger replied. Emily sighed. She was just dozing off when Roger spoke again. "Emily?" he whispered.

"Mmm?" she mumbled.

"Marry me."

She cracked an eye open to stare at him. "We're already engaged."

"No, I mean let's get married. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She opened both her eyes.

"We've already missed our first date and it's not likely we'll be settled in the near future. We can do everything we need to at the fairgrounds and be done with it."

She rolled over to face him. "But-"

"Is there any reason for us to wait?" Roger asked. "As far as we know, there's one parent left between us. I hate to say it, but I don't think my family could've made it."

Emily looked up at Roger. "Ok."

* * *

**A/N: A bit short, sorry. I've been busy and not in the writing mood.**


	5. Chapter 5

At breakfast the next morning, Jonah asked, "You ready to go?"

"Just about," Roger replied. "We need to go back to Black Jack for a little bit, then we're all set."

"What do you need there?" Jonah asked.

Emily was about to retort, but Roger spoke first. "We're going to get married. Do you want to come?" Emily shot a glare at Roger.

Jonah looked at Emily. "You weren't gonna tell me?" Emily looked away guiltily. "You two go ahead," he said gruffly, masking the hurt.

Roger shook his head. "For all I know, you're the only family I have left. I want you to come." He glanced at Emily. "I'm sure Emily does, too, she's just too stubborn to admit it."

Jonah studied Roger's face, gauging his sincerity. "Ok. I'll come."

* * *

Roger and Emily strode hand in hand through the tents and stalls, Jonah trailing a little behind. Finally they reached a more permanent structure sporting a J&R logo. Emily threw Roger a questioning glance. "J&R have assumed a number of legal duties so the officials are free for matters needing professional legal consideration. Paperwork doesn't count," Roger explained.

The trio entered the building and were directed in the appropriate direction. They found themselves in a small but neat room divided into a waiting area and a workspace. A few moments later a smiling young blonde woman entered. "Welcome to J&R. My name is Trish. What can I help you with today?"

"We'd like to get married," Roger said.

"Wonderful! Congratulations," Trish said. "This is the sort of thing that makes me love my job." She grabbed a form from a tray and laid it on the counter. "You'll just need to fill this out. There's a section for both of you. I'll also need to check your identification."

Roger and Emily pulled out their licenses. Emily looked at hers. "It's expired," she remarked.

"Don't worry about it," Trish responded. "I just need to make sure your signatures match. I'll be issuing you new identification anyway."

"Really? Since when does that happen at the same time as getting a marriage license?" Emily asked.

"J&R prides itself on fast and convenient service." Trish smiled as she took their licenses and quickly found that their faces and signatures matched. She pulled out some type of machine and set it on the counter. She typed some information into it and pressed a

button. Two new ID cards slid out. "Once you sign your marriage license, you can have these and you'll be all set," she said brightly.

Roger and Emily turned their attention to the form in front of them. "Do some of these questions strike you as profiling?" Emily whispered to Roger, attempting to appear as if she just needed something explained to her.

"Yeah," Roger frowned slightly. "Do you want to leave it?"

"No," Emily replied. "Let's get it done."

A few minutes later, Roger slid the completed form over to Trish. "All done."

She smiled and signed her own name on the appropriate line and stamped initials on a few more lines. She ran the form through another machine and handed Roger the form back. "You can keep that, but it's not necessary. Everything you'll ever need for identification purposes is on these ID cards," Trish said as she also handed Roger and Emily the cards. "You're all set. Congratulations again, Mr. and Mrs. Hammond."

"Thank you," Roger said and Emily echoed. They walked back outside and stopped outside the building.

"Well, J&R certainly gets things done faster than the government ever did," Jonah remarked.

"Yeah," Emily agreed. "It doesn't seem real," she continued, "not without vows."

Roger set his bag on the ground and took Emily's hands in his own. "I, Roger Joseph Hammond…" Emily's brows knitted for a moment in confusion, "…take you, Emily Susannah Sullivan…" Emily finally realized what was going on and was practically beaming, tears pricking her eyes, "…to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise I will always love and cherish you, come what may, for as long we both shall live."

Emily smiled at Roger. She leaned in to kiss him, but he said, "No kisses until the end, Emily. You haven't said your vows yet." Emily smiled again. "I, Emily Susannah Sullivan, take you, Roger Joseph Hammond, to be my lawfully wedded husband. From now on, my home is wherever you are. I promise I will never abandon you, but I don't promise to always agree with you. I will love and cherish you as long as we both shall live."

"Now we can kiss," Roger said with a wink.

Jonah had been against the building a little uncomfortably during this little exchange. He examined the ground with great enthusiasm, but he heard every word and he couldn't help his eyes watering a little bit as his little girl finally got married. He blinked rapidly, erasing any signs of sentimentality. Fortunately, neither Emily nor Roger had paid Jonah much attention. "Feel better now?" Jonah asked, sarcasm returning.

"Yeah, I do," Emily replied.

* * *

**A/N: Another short little bit. Sorry. But hey, Jake's safe. ;-)**


	6. Chapter 6

From Black Jack the trio began the trek to Cheyenne. Jonah had been right-they wouldn't have been able to get fuel for the trip. With J&R essentially taking over everything, Black Jack was one of the last places dealing in barters. Even the small towns they passed through were only accepting currency now-unless, like Jonah, you knew where to look.

Jonah had known exactly what to get when trading the car-they had supplies to spare two weeks later when they reached Cheyenne. The very first thing Jonah told Roger and Emily to do was to trade in their old currencyy and valuables; they needed cash on hand in case they were stopped. Jonah found a relatively safe place to wait with the majority of the supplies, sending Roger and Emily out with scantily filled packs. It proved a wise move-everyone in line at the J&R window was being searched, 'to discourage theft and falsifying information,' they said. Roger and Emily told the guards that they had come to Cheyenne looking to start over with just enough supplies to get them there safely, and the contents of their backpacks supported the story, as did their shiny new J&R IDs.

Once they met up with Jonah again, they explored the city, finding J&R affiliates everywhere. Even the Cheyenne 'police' department was heavily supplemented with Ravenwood men. "Is there anything J&R doesn't control?" Emily asked.

Jonah managed to keep them all safe, finding deserted buildings to sleep in so they wouldn't have to check in at hotels. Jonah hadn't gotten a new ID, so they'd be in a lot of trouble if they were discovered. Eventually, they encountered a group of people who were living off the grid. The government called them malcontents; they called themselves the underground-as in resistance and revolt.

The underground had connections everywhere, it seemed, and now with power and communications restored, they were just as well informed as the government about conditions throughout the country. A contact from Black Jack Fairgrounds had called in some information about what the government referred to as a 'border skirmish' between the towns of New Bern and Jericho. An army division had been sent to contain the situation. Though there had been deaths, there was no devastation.

After hearing that news. Emily and Roger sat down to have a talk. "I think we should go back," Emily said. "With the government back in charge, running out of supplies won't be an issue. No one will have to get kicked out of town."

Roger made a face. "I really don't think there's room for Gray Anderson and me in Jericho."

"The reason you two were butting heads is gone now. There's no reason you couldn't keep clear of each other."

Roger sighed. "Jericho does sound better than here," he finally admitted. "At least we know that people won't just roll over and hand over everything to J&R. We'll still have some independence." He paused a moment, gathering his resolve. "Ok, let's go back."

Emily gave Roger a big hug. "Thank you," she said.

* * *

Jonah didn't agree with their decision and opted to stay in Cheyenne. "I'm gonna stay and work with these resistance guys," he told them. "There's not much going on the roads anymore and Jericho's no place for me. You know how to reach me if you need to."

Jonah gave them a parting gift: a car, fueled up and carrying extra gas. The underground gave them maps of routes not patrolled by either the army or Ravenwood so they would be able to get back to Jericho without being stopped. Travel without official documents was still unwise.

* * *

Roger and Emily left Cheyenne very early in the morning. Between the winding route they were taking to avoid checkpoints and a few necessary breaks, it was well after nightfall when they finally made it back to Laura Hardy's farm. They were surprised to see a light twinkling on the front porch.

Pulling to a halt, Roger cut the engine and pulled the gun from his waist. He nodded, signaling Emily to do the same. They crept out of the car, not shutting their doors so as not to make any unnecessary noise. Once they reached the porch, however, noise was unavoidable as the aged boards groaned and squeaked with every step.

"Who's out there?" a strong masculine voice demanded.

"Jake?" Emily said in surprise.

"Emily?" Jake replied. "What are you doing back?"

"Can we come inside and explain?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," he said as the door was unlocked and swung open.

Heather nearly tackled Emily to the ground with her huge hug of greeting. "I'm so glad you guys are safe," she said.

Jake and Roger shook hands, then Jake gave Emily a quick hug and Heather did the same to Roger.

They all moved into the living room and sat down. Emily and Roger then took turns detailing the events of their trip. Roger took especial time to describe the extent of J&R's control over everything. Once they had finished, Emily finally voiced the question that had been nagging at her for a while. "Where's Mrs. Hardy?"

Shadows passed over Jake's and Heather's faces. "She died," Jake finally said slowly.

Heather continued. "Some migrants were passing through the area and she helped them out. A few days later, she was sick. Hudson River virus."

"I thought that was stopped at the Mississippi," Emily said.

"Officially," Jake replied, bitterly. "Unofficially, it's been spreading. We've picked up pirate radio broadcasts from all over the state of towns where it's hit. Dale managed to get us vaccines, but too late for Mrs. Hardy."

"Don't take this the wrong way," Roger said after a long pause, "but what are you guys doing out here?"

"Lookout duty," Jake replied. "It's secluded out here, so we've been making sure Dale can use this route to get supplies into town." Jake stopped a moment, then continued. "I hope you guys will be ok with letting that continue."

"What do you mean?" Emily said.

"Mrs. Hardy gave you this place. There may not be the paperwork for it, but she told me she did, and as Sheriff, I plan to uphold that decision."

"Sheriff?" Emily repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

"Hey," Jake joked. "Major Beck asked me. I think I've been doing a pretty good job. You don't believe me, ask the missus." He leaned back, smiling at Heather.

"It's not really that different from what he was doing before," Heather said. "Everyone still comes running to Jake to solve all their problems and he still gets called out all at hours of the day or night." Jake slung one arm around Heather's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"So what happened with New Bern?" Roger asked. "We heard about it even in Cheyenne."

Pain eclipsed Jake's face and he closed his eyes for a moment. "They were manufacturing mortars in their factory, using the windmills as a cover. Eric was there and got suspicious; he and one of those fake Marines, Maggie, found out what was going on and tried to sabotage the factory. The other guys got sent back, but Eric was kept in prison. Natually, I had to go find him and by doing so, I gave Constantino exactly what he wanted-something he could spin into a cause for war. Fighting only lasted a couple hours before the army showed up, but not before people died. 65. Including…" Jake's voice still broke at the memory.

"Johnston," Heather said quietly.

"Oh, God, Jake, I'm so sorry," Emily said.

Jake just nodded. "Well, since you guys are back, I suppose we don't need to stay on watch. Dale should've been through by now anyway." He stood.

Heather smiled at them. "Why don't you guys come over tomorrow for supper? We can have a real talk and get you up to speed on everything."

Roger nodded. "That sounds great."

Jake and Heather left, hand in hand.

After they'd been swallowed up by the darkness. Emily and Roger returned to the living room.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Hammond," Roger whispered with a kiss.

* * *

**A/N: Finally! It's taken a little while, and I know at least two of you have been waiting patiently, and I'm sorry. I have just been busy and, quite frankly, Jericho-ed out after the news that Netflix was being too demanding in the Jericho/CBS deal. I rushed through this a little-I was sorely lacking creativity as to what would exactly be happening in Cheyenne. I'd like to think not everyone was welcoming J&R with open arms and I also like the idea that Jonah pulls a Han Solo. Anyway, Roger and Emily are happily back in Jericho. Their return is after s2 ep3 Jennings and Rall.**


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